EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Operations at an Arizona border crossing will be suspended indefinitely as U.S. Customs and Border Protection reassigns officers to assist the Border Patrol with a rise in migrant encounters, the agency said Friday.
Starting Monday, the CBP Office of Field Operations will temporarily suspend operations at the Lukeville Port of Entry and surge all available resources to “expeditiously and safely” process migrants.
CBP will suspend northbound and southbound pedestrian and vehicle traffic until further notice. The agency instructs travelers to use the Nogales Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, or the San Luis Port of Entry in San Luis, Arizona.
“As we respond with additional resources and apply consequences for unlawful entry, the migration trends shift as well,” CBP said. “We continue to adjust our operational plans to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes such as CBP One and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States.”
Officials say smugglers are peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals, fueling the increased levels of migrant encounters.
“CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation,” the statement said.
Last week, CBP announced “reduced vehicle processing capacity” at the Lukeville border crossing.
One commuter with whom Border Report spoke said she waited three hours to cross as she returned from Puerto Penasco, Mexico, a resort on the Gulf of California.
A worker at a duty-free shop next to the port of entry told Border Report he worried the long delays would keep people from coming over the border to shop, especially with the holiday season upon them.
A federal source in Arizona confirmed to Border Report that migrants apprehended in the Tucson Sector are being bused to El Paso, Texas, for processing and expedited removal.